Our deck has always been an afterthought.  There are times when the weather was beautiful and we would sit outside, but we’ve never been “outdoor living” people.  As the boys are getting older and I’m getting more into gardening, we are spending more time outside.  And, aside from a few tweaks and finishing touches, I’m basically finished with the inside of the house, so I’ve been “noticing things” more on the outside.  I’ve really been working on the window boxes in the front and the concrete planters.  I’ve been pruning, weeding, mulching.  We’ve even built up a sunken area on one side of our house and planted hydrangeas and peonies along the side in a mulched garden bed.  The curb appeal of our home is on the rise and it’s making me want to do more. We’ve already been doing a bit of work to the deck.  Jeff has wanted

I don’t know if I have ever cleaned this entire house, all at one time, so thoroughly.  I’ve done a “super clean” of each room, but I usually tackle one or two at a time.  This time, I was doing a “super clean” of almost the entire house.  The basement and Jeff’s office were excluded, which is very obvious if you set foot in either one of those spaces. A “super clean”, in my book, includes dusting, vacuuming, ironing, steam cleaning, soaking, washing, scrubbing, sweeping, wiping and polishing everything in the room.  You wouldn’t think it would take long, especially if you’re generally clean and tidy, but it is time consuming and absolutely amazing the amount of dirt and grim that isn’t reached in an average cleaning.  I went through 1/2 a bottle of multi-purpose cleaner, two rolls of paper towels, five loads of non-clothing laundry, eight rags (used until they